The Power of Soundscapes Voice/Radio Unit

soundscape - soun(d)skp/
noun: soundscape; plural noun:
soundscapes
1) A piece of music considered in
terms of its component sounds. "His
lush keyboard soundscapes."
2) The sounds heard in a particular
location, considered as a whole.
"Institutions concerned with the world
soundscape as an ecologically
balanced entity."
This is an introductory lesson for a vocal unit. Students will be introduced to the power
and complexity of their voices. We will being the unit by introducing sound in general,
and opening students to listen to the world around them. One of the sub-goals of this
unit is to encourage deep listening, to allow natural creative vocal responses to stimuli.
Week One will be spent in deep sound explorations, and during Weeks 2 & 3 students
will work in groups to write, record & edit original radioshows replete with a variety of
vocal sounds as well as background music, special effect sounds and foley.
In this class we will introduce the importance of the use of sound in performance - and
the varieties of ways it enhances (or completely tells!) stories.
Intro: Ask question, What is a soundscape? Discuss how every environment has a
unique range of sounds. Ask for examples. (5 min)
Improv Warm Up: Sound Story Circle (15 min)
Make a circle, and then ask students to choose a soundscape. This could be anything
a farm, outer space, a mall, school, home, etc. Then, ask them to begin making verbal
versions of the sounds they would hear in this soundscape. Turn the volume up and
down allowing them to play with a range of their sounds. Ask them to close their eyes
and listen to a mid-range version of the soundscape. Discuss what they heard, how it
made them feel, and what could change to make it feel differently. Make changes,
asking each time how it feels.
Review the idea of a basic story structure: beginning/intro, conflict/middle, resolution/
end. Invite someone to be a non-human protagonist and non-human antagonist. Ask
them to act out a 3-part story with no words.

When this is over, explain that they are going to create a wordless story as a class
round-robin style. The teacher will have to help, encouraging a built and conflict gently
asking them to do what is needed in particular parts. Do it one more time, the second
time invite a couple of students to play the roles of background sounds (ie - if its a farm
have someone play a rooster and someone else play a tractor; if its the ocean someone
should play the sound of water).
Soundscape Lesson 1: What Are We Hearing? (30 min)
Without any explanation students are asked to sit and prepare to watch a movie. The
teacher should not say much just allow the kids to take seats and settle in and turn on a
film. It doesnt matter what film is used, but it will be more effective if its something that
relies greatly on dialogue. Give it a minute or two; it wont take long for them to begin to
squirm and ask questions. Watching film without sound is incredibly boring!
Ask them to discuss the film - what do they think could be happening? After hearing a
few different versions, ask them to make some connections - what did they all agree on
about was happening and what was missing? What do they disagree about?
Then watch 30 seconds of the film again with a loud happy song playing, and do not
stop but watch the same clip one more time with a sad song.
Discuss emotions, and what how the songs changed their perception. Make a list of
feelings on the whiteboard. Then, ask how to achieve a feeling with sound without
music? What inhabits the background of a happy scene? Birds chirping? How does
rain make a scene feel?
Have them get out paper and pencils (I use index cards), ask them to close their eyes
and while they listen to the actual scene take note of all the various sounds they hear.
When its over have them write lists. Discuss what they heard, and how it was similar
and different to what they thought previously. Make a list of the background sounds on
the board.
Now, ask them to do close their eyes again. This time they will be listening to the room.
If its a particularly quiet room the teacher can make various little sounds during their
minute of listening, but thats not always necessary. Discuss the various things they
heard, but dont write a list on the board.
Go back to the list of emotions, and talk about how the room makes them feel when
they are listening to it. This is hard because, well, its school which is a generalized way
of feeling - so move quickly into asking them what they could add to the room to give it
an emotion. If we wanted this classrooms soundscape to be sad, happy, angry, what
could we add?
Then the students will go into groups with their lists of sounds and be asked to create a
soundscape story using a specific number of sounds. Each group will be given a

different emotion to contend with, and will perform. This story should have a rising and
falling action, but does not need to be too complicated. Allow them to work on it.
Practice - Let the students work out their stories, and rehearse. (15 min.)
Performance - Each group will perform for the class. (15 min.)
Reflection - Discussion (if there is time you can ask for a short written reflection at the
end) about the various ways the sounds changed depending on the emotion they were
used to enhance. (10 min.)
Resources:
http://www.ecology.com/2012/08/24/soundscape-ecology/ - On this site you can listen to
ecological soundscapes, and read about the various components.
http://www.radiolab.org/story/211119-colors/ - In this episode of the NPR show,
Radiolab, a rainbow is portrayed using a choir singing in a range of pitches. It is a
wonderful example of creative use of sound, and the ability of the human voice.
http://www.oldradioworld.com/shows/Flash_Gordon.php - An archive of Flash Gordon
radio serial from 1935. I like to introduce original radio shows with Flash because there
are a number of versions of the same story/script available online, and it has been
useful to play the radio version and follow it with clips from films. Also, the 1980s
version of Flash Gordon has a fun theme song by Queen! I always have the song
playing in the room as the students enter to get them excited about the lesson.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfmrHTdXgK4 - Flash by Queen